Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2007-10-24-Speech-3-009"
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"en.20071024.4.3-009"2
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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, the Presidency would firstly like to thank the European Parliament, and in particular Mrs Oomen-Ruijten, for the motion for a resolution on EU-Turkey relations.
The Law on Foundations could be a positive first step in this regard and will be carefully assessed once adopted and implemented. The recent Supreme Court ruling on the Ecumenical Patriarchate is also an issue of concern.
We share your views on civil-military relations. Recent developments – in particular before and during the election campaign – demonstrate the need for further steps in this area so that the Armed Forces cannot exercise political influence.
Civilian democratic control over the military in line with practice in EU Member States is still to be ensured.
Regarding the south-east, we strongly condemned the recent terrorist attack in the province of Sirnak. We have also condemned other acts of terror perpetrated in Turkey and will continue to do so. Terrorist activities can never be justified. We recall our solidarity with the people of Turkey in this regard. On the other hand, terrorism should not make us forget about the urgent need to promptly develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that will guarantee the economic, social and cultural development of the south-east. This is a complex area that we are closely monitoring as part of the ongoing reform process.
Apart from compliance with the Copenhagen political criteria, Turkey’s progress in preparing for accession will be measured against the requirements clearly set out in the Negotiating Framework. In this respect, as agreed by the Council in December last year, progress made on the issues covered by the Declaration of 21 September 2005, in particular full and non-discriminatory implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Ankara Agreement, will be monitored and reviewed. Regrettably, no progress has yet been made on this issue.
I would also underline that recognition by all Member States is a necessary component of the accession process and that it is therefore vital that the European Union normalises relations between Turkey and all the Member States as soon as possible.
The work required to ensure compliance with the Union’s standards and membership obligations is difficult and demands continuous efforts and determination. We attach particular importance to Turkey’s accession process and I can assure you that the Portuguese Presidency will also do its utmost in order to allow these negotiations to advance.
Commitments made need to be met. Sustaining the reform process and meeting existing obligations will move Turkey’s accession process forward to the benefit, first and foremost, of all Turkish citizens. Nevertheless, progress in the accession process depends fundamentally and primarily on Turkey’s performance.
The Presidency acknowledges and welcomes Parliament’s active engagement with the enlargement process as a constructive contribution to the general debate on enlargement and Turkey’s accession process in particular. There is no doubt that every debate offers a useful opportunity for creating awareness of Turkey’s accession process, engaging the citizens of Member States and Turkey in this process and supporting the Turkish Government in its accession path.
I can assure you that we pay particular attention to the views of the European Parliament. In a few days the Commission will present its regular progress report on Turkey’s accession process. The Council will examine and assess this report very carefully.
In the meantime, I would like to briefly mention a few points in this phase of Turkey’s accession negotiations. We are of the opinion that the recent elections in Turkey demonstrated the wish of the Turkish people for democracy, stability – both political and economic – and progress.
We also welcome how the elections were conducted, the high voter turnout and the improved representativeness of the new Turkish Parliament. The Presidency shares the views and concerns of this House regarding Turkey’s reform process. We believe that the new Government enjoys increased legitimacy and a clear mandate that should enable decisive steps to be made in advancing and broadening the reform process in Turkey.
It is imperative that the new Government gives fresh impetus to the reforms – and their implementation – by focusing on key areas. In this regard, the implementation of the Accession Partnership – in particular as regards its short-term priorities – is of great importance. I would remind you that the Accession Partnership must be reviewed in the coming months. In this context, I would also like to stress the need for broad consultation and national consensus on Turkey’s new Constitution.
We share your views on the importance of reforms in the crucial area of fundamental freedoms and human rights. Further tangible progress is essential, in particular as regards freedom of expression, religious freedom, cultural rights and women’s rights, and also further strengthening of the fight against torture and ill-treatment. Most of these issues are covered in the Accession Partnership as short-term priorities that Turkey needs to meet.
In particular, in the area of freedom of expression, we regret the lack of progress despite wide public debate on the issue and we are concerned about the increasing nationalism leading to self-censorship. We continue to firmly believe that Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code, as well as other vaguely formulated articles, need to be abolished or substantially amended in order to guarantee freedom of expression. Progress in this area is of paramount importance for the general advancement of the accession negotiations.
As for religious freedom, tangible progress is urgently needed, in particular following the tragic incidents earlier this year. The adoption of legislation which will comprehensively address all problems faced by non-Muslim communities – such as legal status, property registration and training of the clergy – in order to guarantee religious pluralism in line with European standards is long awaited."@en1
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